Wire-stretcher



NITED STATES PATENT FFiGa LAFAYETTE V. LINDLEY, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

WIRE-STBETCLHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 370,631, dated September 27, 1887.

Application filed June 30, 1887.

drawings.

My invention relates to that class of wirestretchers which are usually permanently attached to a'post in line with a wire fence and connected to the wires thereof, one stretcher to each line of wire of'the fence being employed, for the purpose of taking up the slack 0f the wires caused by expansion, &c.,whereby perfectly taut wires are always maintained.

The invention consists of certain novel fea tures of construction of the pawl and the bracket to which it is attached, and which supports the ratchet drum, whereby a very compact and durable device is provided, as will be fully hereinafter specified, and particularly pointed out in the claim appended.

Referring to the drawings annexed, Figure 1 represents a perspective View. of my device attached to a post; Fig. 2, a view partly in section and partly'in side elevation; Fig. 3, a perspective view of the bracket for supporting the ratchet-drum; Fig. 4, aperspective view of the pawl employed in this device and Fig. 5, a detail view of a portion of the bracket, showing the manner in which the pawl is pivotally secured thereto.

Referring to the drawings by letters, A designates the bracket or support, one of which is attached to the post, in line with each wire of the fence, by means of screws or otherwise, and which consists of the base-piece a and the two extended side pieces, I), the outer ends of which latter are provided with open bearings c for the ratchet-drum.

The ratchet-drum B has formed on one end, preferably integral with it, a short spindle, d, and on its other end a ratchet-wheel, e, another short spindle, d, and a squared portion, f, for the attachment of a crank or wrench, with which to revolve it, as is usual with this class of devices, the short spindles d d being journaled in the semicircular or open bear- Serial No. 242,998. (No model.)

ings c in the ends of the extended sides of the bracket, as shown. The line of wire from the fence is passed through the post and a slot in the base of the bracket, and is wound on the drum B, after it has been attached thereto, by means of a wrench or crank, the drum being held against backward rotation by the gravity pawl O engaging the ratchet-Wheel e.

In the upper edge of the base-piece a, at one side next to one of the side pieces of thebracket, is formed a short vertical slot, D; and in the rear face of this base-piece, or the side that is contiguous to the face of the post when secured thereto, and on each side of the vertical slot and communicating therewith are formed short lateral grooves or recesses g, for

the purpose presently stated. In this short vertical slot D is pivotally secured the gravitating pawl O, which is constructed with a rearwardly-extending projection or arm, h, which fits the recess formed by the slot D, and which has two lateral pins or pivots, 7c, cast integral with it, the said pins being pivotally held in the lateral recesses gin the rear side of the base-piece by the simple act of securing the bracket to the post, as is evident.

This pawl is also constructed with a forwardlyextending arm, m, which engages with the ratchet-wheel on the drum, a thumb-piece, n, for disengaging the pawl from the ratchet- Wheel, and a downwardly-extending enlargement or shoulder, s, formed at right angles to the arm h, so that when the pawl is in engagement with the ratchet-wheel the said shoulder will bear against the face of the bracket and relieve the pivotal pins of the pawl from the heavy strain due to the pull of the wire upon the drum.

. Being aware that it is not new to construct wire-stretchers with a bracket or support to be attached to a fence-post and provided with open bearings to support a ratchet-drum, and a gravitating pawl attached or held to this bracket in such a manner as to engage with the ratchet-drum, I do not claim such features as my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-- A wire stretcher comprising a bracketframe having scored side cheeks and notched In testimony whereof I affix my signature in vertically and hgrizontally at one corner of presence of two witnesses. its back, in com ination with a ratchet-drum T and a pawl having pintles k k, an abutting ex- LAFA1 ETTE LINDLEY' 5 tension, s, a beveled engaging portion, m, and Witnesses:

a beveled thumb-piece, n, all substantially as R. H. BRENT, shown and described. OHRIsT. I-IERRMANN. 

